EP0709503A1 - New, releasable harness for jacquard machines - Google Patents

Abstract

In the system, a perforated plate (7) is operated vertically for automatic movement of all the harness ties (5) for the connection between the cords (4) of the mechanism (1) and the lifters (6) for the healds (9).

Description

The present invention relates to Jacquard machines for training the crowd on weaving machines and it relates more particularly to harnesses which are coupled to the mobile actuating members of these machines for controlling the warp threads.

We know that in conventional construction, a harness comprises a multitude of cords in number equal to that of the actuating members of the mechanics, each of these cords connecting to one or more arches which are themselves connected to one or more smooth eyelet holder. The cords and arches are connected using carabiners and it can be seen that the disassembly of a harness for repair or replacement and its subsequent reassembly involve the manual operation of several thousand carabiners. The operation is therefore long and tedious.

It is to this drawback that the present invention intends to remedy it by producing a harness which is arranged so that the operation, manual or motorized, of a single member operates the joining or detaching of the whole of the harness and the movable mechanical actuators.

The harness according to the invention is mainly remarkable in that it comprises a control member which is perforated for the passage of the arches and which is associated with an actuation mechanism capable of giving it an alternative movement oriented parallel to the axis said arches, while collars formed by male and female elements capable of fitting axially to ensure the connection of said arches and cords harnessed to the actuating members of the mechanics, are arranged, in combination with crossed rope guides axially by the aforementioned cords, for locking and unlocking under the effect of reciprocating movements of the mobile control member.

• Fig. 1 est une vue en élévation montrant de manière schématique une mécanique d'armure équipée d'un harnais établi conformément à l'invention.
• Fig. 2 représente en coupe axiale partielle les deux éléments constitutifs de l'un des collets d'assemblage du harnais, ainsi que le guide-corde de retenue qui lui est associé.
• Fig. 3 illustre l'agencement de l'élément femelle du collet suivant fig. 2.
• Fig. 4 illustre de la même manière l'agencement du guide-corde.
• Fig. 5 est une coupe horizontale schématique à plus grande échelle du harnais, suivant le plan indiqué en V-V en fig. 1.
• Fig. 6 à 11 sont des coupes axiales illustrant les phases successives du processus de démontage et de remontage du harnais, les fig. 6A, 7A, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 9C et 10A montrant à plus grande échelle la position des pièces des collets à ces phases.
• Fig. 12 est une vue analogue à fig. 1, illustrant une variante de mise en oeuvre de l'invention.

The appended drawing, given by way of example, will allow a better understanding of the invention, the characteristics which it presents and the advantages which it is capable of providing:

• Fig. 1 is an elevational view schematically showing an armor mechanism equipped with a harness established in accordance with the invention.
• Fig. 2 shows in partial axial section the two components of one of the harness assembly collars, as well as the retaining cord guide associated therewith.
• Fig. 3 illustrates the arrangement of the female element of the collar according to FIG. 2.
• Fig. 4 illustrates in the same way the arrangement of the rope guide.
• Fig. 5 is a schematic horizontal section on a larger scale of the harness, along the plane indicated in VV in FIG. 1.
• Fig. 6 to 11 are axial sections illustrating the successive phases of the disassembly and reassembly process of the harness, FIGS. 6A, 7A, 8A, 8B, 9A, 9B, 9C and 10A showing on a larger scale the position of the parts of the collars at these phases.
• Fig. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating an alternative embodiment of the invention.

In fig. 1, the reference 1 designates a VERDOL or JACQUARD type armor mechanism, supported above the weaving machine by a structure 2. The lower part of the mechanism 1 is provided with a series of rope guides 3, in number equal to that of the cords 4 of said mechanism. Each cord 4 passes axially through the corresponding cord guide 3 to be assembled, by means of a removable collar 5, to an arch 6, which crosses a control board 7 to be connected, by means of a clip such as 8, to one or more stringers 9. The latter are guided by a board with fixed holes 10 below which each of them crosses a grouting board 11 and carries a thread guide eyelet 9 a before attaching to a return spring 9 b attached to a bottom board 12, placed below the weaving machine (not shown).

The harness according to the invention is composed of all the elements or bodies referenced from 3 to 12.

Each collar 5 comprises two parts, namely a female element 13 (fig. 2) made integral with the corresponding yoke 6, and a male end piece 14 whose lower part cooperates with the element 13, while the upper part is intended to fit into one of the rope guides 3.

As more particularly shown in fig. 3, the female element 13 is constituted by a tubular cylindrical part open upwards, obtained by molding a semi-rigid synthetic material capable of deforming elastically. Below its upper outlet, this part 13 is cut longitudinally from slots which define two opposite jaws 13 a independent of one another, the lower end of which is curved to form a beak or jaw 13 b with a slightly profile concave.

The male element 14 is constituted by a cylindrical piece of rigid plastic material, the lower end of which is established at a larger diameter to form a harpoon point 14 a (fig. 2). On the cylindrical part with smaller diameter which surmounts this projecting point 14 a , slides freely a split ring or shuttle 14 b . The upper part of the part 14 decreases in diameter and is hollowed out by an annular depression 14 c ; this upper part is provided axially hollow to receive and retain the end of one of the mechanical cords 4, in the same way that the base of the female part 13 of the collar is arranged to receive and retain the end of an arch 6.

Each rope guide 3 is constituted by a tubular piece of elastically deformable synthetic material which, below an upper tail 3 a (fig. 2) suitable for fixing, for example by elastic clipping, in one of the openings usual lower formed in the floor of the mechanical 1 for the passage of the cords 4, is split longitudinally to define two opposite jaws 3 b facing upwards. The upper free end of each jaw 3 b is shaped to form a nose or terminal jaw 3 c, capable of cooperating with the annular depression 14c of the male element 14, as discussed below. Fig. 4 shows clearly the arrangement of the clamp formed by the two jaws 3 b , which clamp is crossed axially by one of the cords 4 of the mechanics 1.

The clips 8 which provide the connection between the arches 6 and the heddles 9 are of the usual type and therefore do not require any detailed description. Each of the arches 6 is freely engaged through an opening 7 a made for this purpose in the control board 7, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and 5. It will be noted that the openings 7 a have an internal diameter slightly smaller than the external diameter of the staples 8, as will be better understood below.

The board 7, which is an integral part of the harness according to the invention, is detachably attached to a mobile frame 15 associated with a raising and lowering mechanism intended to ensure its alternating vertical movement between the two levels indicated in 16 and 17 in fig. 1.

In the embodiment which has been illustrated in FIG. 1 and 5, this raising and lowering mechanism comprises a small geared motor 18 which is fixed laterally against the mechanics to operate the rotation, in one direction or the other, of one of four threaded rods 19 oriented vertically and connected to each other by a chain 20 stretched between four toothed wheels 21 wedged on said rods 19. Each of these cooperates with a corresponding nut embedded in the frame 15 in the vicinity of each angle thereof, so that the motorcycle -reducer 18 ensures the vertical displacement of the control board 7.

It goes without saying that the raising and lowering mechanism described above could be actuated manually using a crank in place of the geared motor 18, or be replaced by a system of double-acting hydraulic cylinders.

When the mechanics 1 is in working condition, each of the cords of the harness according to the invention is in the position illustrated in FIG. 6. The projecting tip 14a is engaged in the female element 13 and is located in an axial position such that the lower jaw 13b are disposed immediately above said tip (Fig. 6A) which is thus retained in place. The control board 7 is then located at a lower level of its travel such that each collar 5 is free to move alternately in the vertical direction, without being hampered by the rope guide 3 or by said board 7, while each cord 4 is firmly secured to its arch 6.

When he wishes to disassemble the harness, the operator actuates the up and down mechanism in order to move the frame 15 and the board 7 upwards. In this upward movement, the upper face of this board 7 successively bears against an annular shoulder 13 c provided for this purpose in the lower part of each of the female elements 13, and push axially upwards all the collars 5. This movement ascending continuing, the jaws 13 b of the jaws 13 a slide along the cylindrical part 14 d (FIG. 7A) which overcomes the end 14 a , causing the elevation of the ring or shuttle 14 b . Simultaneously, the upper end of this end piece 14 is engaged inside the rope guide 3, until the jaws 3 c of the latter snap into the annular depression 14 c and that an annular shoulder 14 e strikes the lower edge of this rope guide 3 (see fig. 7).

All the collars 5 are then at the same height, corresponding to the level of the board 7 which has been referenced 22 and which can be qualified as a locking level.

The frame 15 and the board 7 continue their upward movement until they reach level 16 of their travel. In this movement, the end piece 14 cannot move upwards as a result of the contact of the shoulder 14 e against the rope guide 3. Under these conditions, only the female element 13 of the collars 5 moves upwards (fig. 8); as the shuttle 14b has reached the upper end of travel (fig. 8A), the jaws 13b , after being commanded to open by the chamfered lower edge of said shuttle, pinch it which is then firmly secured axially, as shown in fig. 8B.

The direction of rotation of the gear motor 18 is then reversed, which has the effect of lowering the board 7. The return springs 9 b associated with the healds 9 force the elements 13 to move themselves downward following the lowering of the board 7 (cf. fig. 9), so that the shuttles 14 b , still gripped by the jaws 13 b , themselves follow the downward movement (fig. 9A). At a given point in the downward movement, the shuttle 14 b comes to rest against the upper face of the end 14 a (FIG. 9B), which allows the jaws 13 b to escape being hooked on the part to large diameter of the end 14 has the fact that the height of said jaws is greater than the height of the lower chamfer of the shuttle, and to approach each other in the manner illustrated in FIG. 9C.

Because the end pieces 14 remain locked in the high position by the pliers of the rope guides 3, the continued downward movement of the board 7 and of the female elements 13 up to level 24 causes the elements 13 and 14 to separate, as illustrated in fig. 10.

At this level 24, the tension of the springs 9 b is practically canceled, so that the board 7 can then be dissociated from the movable frame 15 and the whole harness, with the exception of the rope guides 3 and the end pieces 14 immobilized in the high position, is in the disassembled position and can be removed.

It is understood that the reassembly of this harness can be operated by imparting to board 7, from level 24, an upward stroke followed by a downward stroke, it being observed that the upward stroke does not exceed the attachment level 22, the phases of the process taking place in the opposite direction to that just described for dismantling; fig. 10A illustrates the spacing of the jaws 13 b at the end 14 a and the elevation of the shuttle 14 b , said jaws then coming to lock above the end 14 a (FIG. 6A), finding in the position of fig. 6. Once the two constituent elements of the different collars 5 of the harness have locked to each other, it suffices to continue the downward movement of the control board 7 to the minimum level 25 of FIG. 11; as shown, the underside of the board 7 bears against the staples 8 by determining on the arches 6 and the end pieces 14 a tensile force which forces the jaws 3 b of the rope guides 3 to open by releasing said end pieces. By means of a very slight ascent of the board 7 to level 17, we therefore find ourselves in the normal operating position according to FIG. 1 and 6.

The invention therefore makes it possible to produce a harness whose mounting and dismounting operations require only the operation of the single raising and lowering mechanism, thus avoiding the tedious manipulation of a multitude of snap hooks or coupling staples. . It goes without saying that the different races of Plate 7 between the levels above are determined by conventional type position detectors.

It is understood that the clamps enclosed by the rope guides 3 and by the female elements 13 of the collars 5 may have more than two jaws. It is further understood that the arrangement of the elements 13 and 14 of the collars 5 is capable of being reversed by means of a suitable orientation of the jaws 13 a .

It will also be noted that the arches 6 can advantageously be formed not by flexible members identical to the cords 4, but by rigid rods capable of stabilizing the lateral vibrations.

Fig. 12 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the invention in which the plate with fixed holes 10 according to FIG. 1 is deleted, its guiding role being provided by the perforated control member 7. This solution, obviously simpler, can however only be suitable in the case where the return springs 9 b associated with the beams 9 exert sufficient axial force to operate the extraction of the collars 5 from the rope guides 3 at the end of the coupling operation, without the intervention of the staples 8 of the embodiment described above.

Claims (6)

Harness for Jacquard mechanics, of the kind comprising a series of cords (4) attached to the actuating members of the mechanics and connected to arches (6) connected to at least one smooth eyelet holder (9), characterized in that it further comprises a movable control member (7) which is perforated for the passage of the arches (6) and which is associated with an actuation mechanism (18) capable of giving it an alternating movement oriented parallel to the axis of said axes arches, while collars (5) formed by male (14) and female (13) elements capable of fitting to ensure the detachable connection of said arches and cords (4), are arranged, in combination with guides rope (3) crossed axially by the aforementioned cords, to lock and unlock under the effect of reciprocating movements of the mobile control member. Harness according to claim 1, characterized in that the mechanism (18) comprises threaded rods (19) angularly connected to one another and driven in rotation to control in one direction or the other a frame (15) on which is removably fixed the control member consisting of a perforated board (7). Harness according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the female element (13) of each collar (5) comprises jaws (13 a ) whose jaws (13 b ) are profiled to pinch the male element (14) corresponding immediately behind a harpoon point (14 a ) provided at the end of said male element, which further comprises a ring or shuttle (14 b ) movable axially to control the opening and closing the jaws (13 b ) mentioned above Harness according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that each rope guide (3), fixed against the perforated floor of the mechanics, comprises jaws (3 b ) whose jaws (3 c ) are capable of come to engage in an annular depression (14 c ) of the male element (14) of the corresponding collar (5). Harness according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the arches (6) interposed between the collars (5) and the rails (9) are constituted by rigid rods acting as anti-vibration stabilizers. Harness according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the control member (7) acts as a hole board.

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